Walking the ordinary and extraordinary, and what’s in between
By Katie Dunn
Sun contributor
Solvitur ambulando. “It is solved by walking.”
This enduring axiom, attributed to Diogenes the Cynic (c. 404-c. 323 BCE), is more than just a philosophical quip—it is a direct refutation of abstract theorizing. When confronted with Zeno of Elea (c. 490-c. 430 BCE)’s paradox, which posited that motion was merely an illusion— Diogenes most deliberately did not engage in theoretical debate. Instead, he simply stood up and walked away—a wordless but forceful demonstration that movement is, indeed, reality.
More than mere proof of motion, walking is an act both ordinary and extraordinary. It has the unique ability to shape human experience in both subtle and profound ways.
A first step marks the beginning of independence, like those of a small child—something Leah Hilton Turner, lifelong Glen Arborite, knows well. The mother of twin daughters, now almost three, recalled the pure joy and excitement of that milestone.
“Their wide eyes and excited smiles were my favorite thing about the girls’ first steps—they were so proud of themselves! I remember they were so hesitant, but also so determined. It was a big step forward as a twin mom—the prospect of venturing out felt less daunting. The constant carrying of them replaced by the possibility of exploring the world alongside them was exciting,” Hilton related.
A slow amble can untangle the mind’s knots, as Glen Arbor’s Brian Edwards and his canine companion, Gayle, regularly prove.
“I like to take it all in on walks. The weather, the changing seasons, the wildlife, the smells…It’s a time for contemplation. The usual stuff: What time should I feed the dogs? Did I put the towels in the dryer? Should I find a new job. Stuff like that…My walks help me and remind me to appreciate Glen Arbor and how lucky we are to live here. It’s hard not to appreciate the area when you take it in daily,” Edwards mused.
Neil Armstrong’s few measured steps on the moon in 1969 marked a monumental achievement for all of humanity. His words—“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”—remain indelible, echoing through history as a testament to human perseverance and exploration.
And, a determined march, like that led by John Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965, forever altered the course of history.
“We were marching in twos in an orderly, peaceful, nonviolent fashion on our way to Montgomery to dramatize to the nation that people wanted to register to vote,” Lewis later reflected.
It is this vast spectrum of meaning—walking as both instinct and intention—that is the focus of the latest exhibition of the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC): Walking.
Sarah Bearup-Neal, GAAC’s gallery manager, is the visionary behind Walking. Predictably, Bearup-Neal infused the exhibit with her signature energy and curiosity. As with past shows, her concepts, while deceptively simple, are profoundly cerebral.
It was on one of her daily walks that Bearup-Neal had an epiphany of sorts: walking itself could be the subject of an exhibition. And with that came the infancy of this deeply thought-provoking creative inquiry.
“I am a daily walker, and my walks are very noisy. The polite explanation is there is a lot of thinking taking place in my head…More than a year ago, I was trying to turn down the volume inside my head when a lightbulb went on: wouldn’t walking be an interesting idea for an exhibition. I began to wonder how other people think of walking, what they see and do on their walks, and how they’d visually translate that. Even with all the cranial noise turned up to 11, I still try to use my walks to meditate or think through what’s got my attention at the moment—such as possible exhibition themes—or just be present so I can enjoy my surroundings and the other creatures who live in proximity,” Bearup-Neal shared.
A total of 26 artists contributed 32 pieces to Walking. While some hail from the Glen Arbor area, the exhibition extends beyond local talent, featuring artists from both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, as well as Indiana and Wisconsin. Walking features a wide range of artistic mediums, including paint, ceramics, mixed media, woven and quilted fibers, metal, etching, photography, and found objects.
The exhibition opened on April 1, followed by an opening reception on April 4. This was a juried show, and awards went to: Nancy McRay, Walking on Ice (Best in Show); Melonie Steffes, Heading (Merit Award); and Dawn Swaim, Puddles (Merit Award). In addition to these traditional awards, the GAAC has a new category of recognition called the “Couldn’t Be Ignored Award,” given to work that embodies exceptional creativity and pushes the boundaries of conventional artistic expression. Those winners were Dave Marks, Walking Stick and Douglas Racich, Dry Earth.
The outpouring of interest and support was tremendous with roughly 70 in attendance. Cynthia Marks, an Empire resident and exhibitor, was present that evening, and noted how resonant the theme of walking is—especially here in northern Michigan, where walking is woven into the fabric of everyday life. Additionally, she was struck by the ingenuity and diversity of the artwork, each piece offering a fresh and unexpected take on such a familiar act.
“The population of our area is very active—it is rare not to see someone walking. The array of solutions in concept, medium, and scale makes for a broad offering of ‘solutions’ to the charge/problem/assignment,” Marks said.
The show’s power lies in its remarkable breadth—how that act of walking becomes a launchpad for everything from personal reflection to cultural critique. Empire artist Mark Mehaffey’s entry, Walking Down the Digital Rabbit Hole, takes us straight into the disorienting spin of the digital age, where a walk becomes a metaphor for the way we scroll ourselves into oblivion. Todd Lininger, a Leland artist, wrestles with what it means to navigate the divide in a time of political polarization, offering a piece, Tension, that is as visually compelling as it is emotionally charged. And in a beautiful departure, Kimberly Bazemore of Traverse City, turns her beach walks into a tactile memory: Walk on the Beach, Walk in the Hood is an intricate seaglass necklace that feels like an homage to the natural world.
Autumn Kirby of Interlochen, and office manager for the GAAC, contributed a piece titled Glen Haven. Kirby worked in Suminagashi, a centuries-old Japanese marbling technique where ink is dropped onto the surface of water and gently manipulated before being transferred to paper. Inspired by time spent at Glen Haven’s beach, her piece suggests the quiet pools of water that gather along the shoreline—capturing the serene, almost meditative experience of walking Sleeping Bear Bay.
“Walking is an act of connection. With every step, we trace the contours of a place, layering our presence on its existence, becoming a part of our existence. Places shape who we are. In the process of Suminagashi, it translates the landscape and evokes the rhythms of memory. Memory, like a trail, is both fleeting and deeply ingrained,” Kirby expressed.
The effort to capture movement—walking, specifically—is part of a deep tradition in art history. Most notably, Marcel Duchamp achieved this in Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2 (1912), transforming the act of walking into a kinetic sequence of fragmented forms—a striking triumph of Cubism.
More conventionally, Gustave Caillebotte, with his painting of Paris Street; Rainy Day (1877), immortalized the quiet nuances of pedestrians navigating a cityscape. His masterful depiction of movement and atmosphere stands as a quiet but enduring study of urban motion and human presence.
Operating on an entirely different level, American conceptual artist, Helen Mirra (b. 1970), has made walking an integral part of her creative practice. As she explains: “It is an unskilled activity, and a free activity, and an always-available activity, and an equipment-free activity, and an active activity.”
One of her most striking explorations of this idea is gehend (Field Recordings 1-3) (2011-12), a project in which she embarked on 30-day walks through various landscapes, creating minimalist prints that serve as meditative records of movement through space. Unlike traditional depictions of walking, Mirra’s work distills the experience into a rhythmic, almost philosophical engagement with time, terrain, and repetition.
The pursuit to aestheticize and intellectualize walking has long figured into artistic and philosophical discourse. Yet, beyond its conceptual value, walking offers tangible rewards. According to the Centers for Disease Control, regular walking enhances cardiovascular health, reduces stress, improves mood, and boosts cognitive function. So, consider walking yourself—and make your destination the GAAC. Reap the physical benefits of walking, then immerse yourself in Walking. The exhibit remains on display through May 29.
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